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THE 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 



BY REV. DANIEL SMITH, 

AUTHOR OF " PARENT'S FRIEND," " LIFE OF MOSES," " DANIEL," 
AND OTHER WORKS FOR YOUTH. 



'HE WAS A BURNING AND A SHINING LIGHT." 



REVISED BY THE EDITORS. 



NEW. YORK; 

PUBLISHED BY T. MASON AND G. LANE, 

For the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 

* at the Conference Office, 200 Mulberry-street. 

J. Collord, Printer. 
1840. 



'SSmsc 



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7 






"Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 
1840, by T. Mason and G. Lane, in the Clerk's Office 
of the District Court of the Southern District of New- 
York." 







LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 



ADDRESS TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS. 

The writer of this, and other vo- 
lumes of Scripture biography, would 
take this opportunity of explaining 1 
some of the views by which he has 
been influenced in their preparation. 

The chief design has been to inte- 
rest the young in the study of the 
Bible. For this purpose he has in- 
troduced descriptions of the places 
where the events narrated in the his- 
tory occurred. Manners, customs, 
and prevailing sentiments among the 
Jews, Babylonians, Persians, &c, 
have been explained. The circum- 
stances under which events occurred, 
or addresses were made, have been 
noticed, and a sort of running com- 



6 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

mentary has been interwoven into the 
texture of the works. 

These volumes are not of course 
adapted to the smallest class of chil- 
dren. The subjects, as well as the 
style, are above them. If the histories 
of Moses, David, St. Paul, Peter, and 
John the Baptist, are to be introduced 
to them, the books must be small, 
the style very simple, and only the 
leading features of the subjects pre- 
sented. 

The chief difficulty has been to 
determine at what standard of style 
to aim, and, having once fixed it, to 
adhere to it. The author would be 
glad to interest children as young as 
eleven or twelve years of age ; but he 
is not without his fears that his style 
may want adaptation even to them. 
He does not indeed fear for the more 
intelligent children of that age ; but 
very many are by no means as well 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 7 

informed as they should be at that 
period of life ; and for these he would 
care more especially. 

He is, however, induced to hope that 
he has not laboured in vain. There 
are many children and youth in the 
sabbath schools advanced beyond 
the age specified above, to whom he 
trusts these volumes will not be un- 
acceptable. Besides, the large class of 
sabbath school publications are be- 
ginning to be considered as family 
books, capable of profiting adults as 
well as children; and he entertains 
the hope that such persons may read 
the works he has prepared with both 
pleasure and profit. 

In conclusion, the writer would say 
to those who may think the style of 
these volumes is not sufficiently sim- 
ple, that though they may be right in 
this opinion, yet something may be 
said on the other side of the question. 



8 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

First. The subjects are in them- 
selves elevated. Moses was a prophet 
and legislator : David a sublime poet, 
a magistrate, and a prophet. The 
subject of St. Paul's histoifr is very 
lofty ; the work of propagating religion 
for the world is certainly one of great 
dignity. Now whoever attempts to 
write these histories in monosyllables, 
or to narrate them in the circumscribed 
language of a child's vocabulary, will 
at least find himself engaged in no 
very easy task. 

Secondly. May there not be some 
danger of bringing down the style of 
books for the young too low ? If we 
never use a word above them, how 
will they ever rise above the language 
of the nursery? Should not their 
books oblige them to consult their 
dictionaries pretty often ? D. S. 







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S -•; ^'Jlefetence to oia- Lords Travels. 

"'•' ;V From Yrttiireih to Jerusalem uhen 12 

'.' years old and lus return ■ 




Fr,rni Jerusalem ti> Laperruiiun 
iilter the celebration or'&ie sec- 
ond Tassoier ». 

Our Saviours Jour 



his life Adj. Sff. 

Fruin the first tx> the second Pass* 
during Ins Ministry A-D.30 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 



CHAPTER I. 

Heralds in the East — Isaiah and Malachi pro- 
phesy of John — A great prophet expected — Parents 
of John — The angel Gabriel — Zacharias struck 
dumb — Anecdote of Fletcher — Wisdom of Provi- 
dence. 

In the East it was a custom with 
kings, whenever they travelled, to 
send a herald before them, to an- 
nounce their approach. If the jour- 
ney led through desert countries, they 
sent a number of pioneers to open 
the passes, remove all impediments, 
and level the roads. But where it 
led only through inhabited districts 
they despatched a single herald, that 
the people might prepare to welcome 
the monarch, and provide for the en- 
tertainment of himself and his retinue. 



10 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

In predicting the coming of the 
Messiah, the great King of nations, 
the prophet Isaiah alluded to this cus- 
tom: he intimated that a messenger 
or herald should go before this illus- 
trious personage to prepare the people 
for his appearance : 

" The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, 
Prepare ye the way of the Lord ; 
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain 

and hill shall be made low ; 
And the crooked shall be made straight, 
And the rough places plain ; 
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed ; 
And all flesh shall see it together, 
For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." 

The prophet Malachi also predicted 
that the Messiah's coming should be 
announced by a special messenger : 

" Behold I will send my messenger, 
And he shall prepare the way before me : 
And the Lord, whom ye seek, 
Shall suddenly come to his temple." 

These predictions led the Jews to 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 11 

expect the appearance of a great and 
illustrious prophet as the harbinger 
or forerunner of the Messiah. They 
particularly expected he would resem- 
ble their great prophet Elijah, because 
Malachi had likened him to that emi- 
nent reformer. About the year of the 
world 4000, expectation was high, as 
the time drew near when the long- 
promised Deliverer was to come. Da- 
niel's four hundred and ninety years, 
at the end of which he was to make 
his appearance, were expiring, and 
other prophecies pointed to that pe- 
riod as the time of his advent. 

In the midst of this eager anxiety, 
a singular and interesting circum- 
stance occurred in Jerusalem. Among 
the priests was one named Zacharias. 
He belonged to one of the twenty- 
four courses, or classes, into which 
they were divided, and was accus- 
tomed to attend to the service of the 



12 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

temple in his regular turn. Zacharias 
was married to a descendant of Aaron, 
named Elizabeth. They were both 
persons of exalted piety. The sacred 
history informs us " they were right- 
eous before God ; walking in all the 
commandments and ordinances of the 
Lord blameless." 

This is a pleasing picture, drawn to 
the life in a very few words. "What 
scene more beautiful than that pre- 
sented by a pious family ! there are 
kind looks, kind words, and kind 
offices. 

" Blest are the sons of peace, 
Whose hearts and hopes are one, 

Whose kind designs to serve and please 

Through all their actions run. 
Blest is the pious house, 

Where zeal and friendship meet ; 

Their songs of praise, their mingled voice, 

Make their communion sweet." 

The week having come on which 
the class of priests to which Zacha- 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 13 

rias belonged were to serve, it fell to 
his lot to burn incense. This incense 
was a compound of several sweet- 
smelling drugs, and was burned every 
morning and evening upon the altar 
of incense in the temple. It was 
offered at the time of morning and 
evening prayer ; and while the priest 
was burning it, the people were in the 
court of the temple praying. 

On the occasion to which we allude, 
Zacharias went into the holy place to 
burn incense, while a great number 
of people remained in the court to 
pray. Probably it was the sabbath, 
or a feast day, on account of which 
the assembly was unusually large. 

Just as this holy man was solemnly 
and prayerfully engaged in discharg- 
ing the duties of his office, he beheld 
a bright and glorious being standing 
by the side of the altar of incense. 
We are not here informed what was 



14 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

the appearance of this heavenly mes- 
senger, but a splendid description is 
given of him in the book of Daniel, 
which I shall here insert. " Then I 
lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and 
behold a certain man clothed in linen, 
whose loins were girded with fine 
gold of Uphaz : his body also was 
like the beryl, and his face as the 
appearance of lightning, and his eyes 
as lamps of fire, and his arms and his 
feet like in colour to polished brass, 
and the voice of his words like the 
voice of a multitude." 

Zacharias was troubled at the sud- 
den and unexpected appearance of 
this heavenly being, and fear fell upon 
him. When the angel perceived his 
agitation, he addressed him by name, 
telling him not to be afraid. He also 
assured him that God would give him 
a son, who should be called John. 

Zacharias and Elizabeth were aged 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 15 

people, and had no children. From the 
manner in which the angel addressed 
him, we should suppose he had prayed 
for a son, and also for the coming of 
the Messiah, for he was told his prayer 
was heard, and both these blessings 
should be given. The angel proceed- 
ed to observe that Zacharias should 
have joy and gladness, and many 
should rejoice at the birth of this son. 
For said he, "He shall be great in 
the sight of the Lord, and shall drink 
neither wine nor strong drink ; and 
he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost 
even from his birth. And many of the 
children of Israel shall he turn to the 
Lord their God. And he shall go be- 
fore Him [the Messiah, " God, ma- 
nifest in the flesh,"] in the spirit and 
power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of 
the fathers to the children, and the 
disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; 



16 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

to make ready a people prepared of 
the Lord." 

If we wish to know why the angel 
says he shall go forth in the spirit 
and power of Elijah, and why Mala- 
chi had also compared him to that 
prophet, we need only turn to the 
history of Elijah's life. We shall 
there find him to have been a man of 
the most dauntless courage, and un- 
tiring perseverance. His preaching 
was eloquent and powerful, and by 
his ministry many souls were brought 
to repentance and salvation. 

The Jews considered him their 
greatest prophet, next to Moses. So 
John was to be, not only a prophet, 
but one of the greatest of prophets. 
But we shall speak more of this here- 
after. 

When Zacharias heard the words* 
of the angel, he was slow to believe, 
and asked by what token, or sign, he 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 17 

should know that this great promise 
should be fulfilled. This was not 
altogether right, and received a mild 
reproof. 

The angel replied, " I am Gabriel, 
that stand in the presence of God; 
and am sent to speak unto thee, and 
to show thee these glad tidings. And 
behold thou shalt be dumb, and not 
able to speak until the day that these 
things shall be performed, because 
thou believest not my words which 
shall be fulfilled in their season." The 
meaning of these words seems to be 
this: "I am Gabriel, the same who 
appeared to the prophet Daniel four 
hundred and ninety years since, with 
a message concerning the Messiah. 
Do you not recollect the prophecy 
which he has recorded, and his men- 
tioning me by name ? And have you 
forgotten that the four hundred and 
ninety years, at the end of which 



18 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

Messiah was to come, are now draw- 
ing to a close? And now I am not 
come of my own accord, but as a 
messenger accustomed to stand before 
God, and go at his command ; I am 
sent to make known to you these 
joyful tidings. You should, therefore, 
have believed my word, and consider- 
ed the high honour God has put upon 
you by his great and gracious pro- 
mise. But as you ask for a sign, a 
sign shall be given you ; but it shall 
be one which shall reprove your weak 
faith, at the same time that it con- 
vinces you, and others, that I do in- 
deed speak in the name of God. This 
is the sign ; you shall be dumb, and 
not able to speak until the promise is 
fulfilled." 

After the angel's departure, we may 
suppose Zacharias continued for some 
time in the holy place. This wonderful 
vision would naturally leave a train 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 19 

of holy thoughts passing in his mind. 
Mingled emotions of wonder, love, 
and praise, would fill his soul, and he 
would feel 

" That sacred awe which dares not move, 
And all the silent heaven of love." 

In this state of mind no account is 
taken of time : it passes, but its flight 
is unobserved. That great and good 
man, Mr. Fletcher, once entered a 
grove at evening for prayer, and there 
" God manifested himself" to him H as 
he doth not unto the world." Mo- 
ments flew, and hours succeeded mo- 
ments, but he knew it not, and when 
he looked about, behold it was morn- 
ing. So Jacob continued in prayer 
all night. 

Thus Zacharias stayed, and the 
people wondered. They did not de- 
part, for it was their custom to wait 
till the priest came out of the holy 
place, and pronounced the blessing 



20 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

upon them, which the Lord had com- 
manded to Aaron, " The Lord bless 
thee, and keep thee, the Lord make 
his face to shine upon thee, and be 
gracious unto thee, the Lord lift up 
his countenance upon thee, and give 
thee peace." 

At length Zacharias made his ap- 
pearance, but though the people wait- 
ed, he did not pronounce the blessing. 
His long absence, his silence, and his 
unusually solemn countenance, led 
them to conclude he had seen a 
vision. He confirmed them in this 
conclusion by beckoning with his 
hand, and remaining silent. This 
circumstance was wisely directed by 
Divine Providence. It awakened in- 
terest and inquiry, as the news of the 
strange event spread, and led to the 
expectation of something of an ex- 
traordinary character. 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 21 

Though speechless,* Zacharias 
was still able to burn incense, and 
perform the other duties of his office. 
He accordingly continued at the tem- 
ple until the time of his service was 
ended, when he returned to his house. 
This is supposed to have been at 
Hebron, a city of the priests, about 
twenty miles from Jerusalem. 



CHAPTER II. 

Description of Nazareth — The angel Gabriel sent 
with another message — Mary, the mother of Jesus 
— Visits her cousin Elizabeth — Birth of John — 
Naming the child — Zacharias is restored to speech 
and hearing — His prophetic ode — General interest 
awakened by these extraordinary events. 

In Lower Galilee, just north of the 
great plain of Esdraelon, and about 
midway between the lake of Gene- 
sareth and the Mediterranean, was a 

* The original word rendered speechless means 
both deaf and dumb. 



22 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

small city, called Nazareth. It still 
exists, and is thus described by a mo- 
dern traveller : " The town is situa- 
ted upon the declivity of a hill. A 
vale spreads out before it, resembling 
a circular basin, encompassed by 
mountains. Fifteen mountains ap- 
pear to meet to form an enclosure for 
this beautiful spot, around which they 
rise like the edge of a shell, as if to 
guard it against intrusion. It is a 
rich and beautiful field, in the midst 
of barren mountains." 

To this city the angel Gabriel was 
sent, about six months after his ap- 
pearance to Zacharias in the temple. 
He came with a message to a pious 
woman named Mary, a cousin of Eli- 
zabeth, the wife of Zacharias. She 
was soon to be married to a pious 
Israelite, named Joseph, a descend- 
ant of King David. 

As Gabriel appeared to her, he said, 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 23 

" Hail, thou that art highly favoured ; 
the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou 
among women." At the appearance 
and address of the angel, Mary was 
troubled ; but he calmed her fears, 
saying, " Fear not, for thou hast found 
favour with God." He then went on 
to inform her, that she was appointed 
by God to be the mother of the long- 
promised Messiah, who should be 
called " the Son of the Highest," 
and who should establish a spiritual 
kingdom of which "there should be 
no end." He also informed her, that 
her cousin Elizabeth would have a 
son, to be born six months before the 
Messiah. 

Soon after this, Mary went to the 
city where Zacharias resided, to visit 
Elizabeth. As soon as she entered 
the house, Elizabeth's heart was fill- 
ed with the Holy Spirit, and it was 
revealed to her, that Mary was to 



$4 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

be the mother of Jesus. She pro- 
nounced Mary the most blessed of 
women, and declared her firm belief 
that there should be " a performance 
of those things which had been told 
her from the Lord." 
Mary replied : 

" My soul doth magnify the Lord, 
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 
For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand 

maiden, 
For behold, from henceforth, all generations shall 

call me blessed ; 
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, 
And holy is his name, 
And his mercy is on those that fear him ; 
From generation, to generation, 
He hath showed strength with his arm; 
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination 

of their hearts, 
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, 
And exalted them of low degree : 
He hath filled the hungry with good things, 
And the rich he hath sent empty away : 
He hath holpen his servant Israel, 
In remembrance of his mercy, 
As he spoke to our fathers, 
To Abraham, and to his seed for ever." 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 25 

Having remained with Elizabeth 
three months, Mary returned to Naza- 
reth. About the time of her return, 
God fulfilled his promise, and the son 
of Zacharias and Elizabeth was born. 
This was a joyful occasion. The 
relatives and friends of Elizabeth, 
having heard that the Lord in so re- 
markable a manner had magnified his 
mercy toward her, came together and 
rejoiced with her on this happy occa- 
sion. 

It was customary with the Jews to 
jiame their children on the eighth day 
after their birth. Religious ceremo- 
nies were connected with the eighth 
day, which brought the friends toge- 
ther. When they proceeded to the 
naming of the child, they insisted 
that he should be called after his fa- 
ther ; but his mother said, " Not so, 
his name shall be John." They re- 
plied, " There is none of thy kindred 



26 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

that is called by this name," and then 
made signs to his father, who was still 
unable to hear or speak, to know how 
he would have him named. Zacha- 
rias took a pen and wrote, " His name 
is John." 

Immediately his speech and hear- 
ing were restored, according to the 
prediction of the angel. He had been 
for many months shut up in silence 
and solitude, unable to speak, or lis- 
ten to the words of others : but now 
his tongue was loosened, and its first 
business was to praise God. While 
his heart was thus filled with thanks- 
giving, the Spirit of prophecy de- 
scended upon him. His mind was 
directed to the illustrious personage 
of whom his son was to be the fore- 
runner, and in a lofty strain of pro- 
phetic poetry, he thus predicted his 
near approach : 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 27 

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 
For he hath united and redeemed his people ; 
And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us 
In the house of his servant David. 
(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, 
Which have been since the world began.) 
That we should be saved from our enemies, 
And from the hand of all that hate us : 
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, 
And to remember his holy covenant ; 
The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 
That he would grant unto us, 
That we being delivered out of the hand of our 

enemies 
Might serve him without fear, 
In holiness and righteousness before him 
All the days of our life. 

And thou, child, 
Shalt be called the prophet of the Highest ! 
For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to 

prepare his ways ; 
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people 
By the remission of their sins, 
Through the tender mercy of our God, 
Whereby the day-spring from on high hath visit- 
ed us; 
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in 

the shadow of death ; 
To guide our feet in the way of peace." 

A holy influence attended these 



28 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

extraordinary events. " Fear came on 
all that dwelt round about them : and 
all these sayings were noised abroad 
throughout all the hill-country of Ju- 
dea. And all they that heard them 
laid them up in their hearts, say- 
ing, What manner of child shall 
this be T 



CHAPTER III. 

Childhood of John — His training- — Decree of 
Cesar Augustus — Birth of Jesus — Jesus and John 
grow up strangers to each other. 

The period of childhood is one of 
great interest. To see a young being 
just entered upon existence growing 
up before us, to mark the progress of 
the mind as it expands like a flower 
just bursting from the bud, to notice 
its activity, and listen to its thousand 
inquiries, is a feast to persons of 
discernment and sensibility. How 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 29 

beautifully does a poet describe this 
part of life : 

" Let wo come then ; beneath the heart's own ray 
How soon it melts like moonlit clouds away ! 
Then time flies fast, while laughing childhood 

throws 
Handfuls of roses at him as he goes : 
And all the future, like a lake, is spread 
In calm expanse beneath hope's angel tread : 
Home is our realm ; our throne a mother's knee ; 
Our crown, her smile, bent o'er us lovingly." 

But if childhood be so interesting 
a period in common cases, how much 
more so must it have been in that of 
John? Here was a child who had 
been the subject of prophecy for hun- 
dreds of years, and whose birth had 
been announced by an angel from 
heaven — who was to be one of the 
greatest of prophets, and the harbin- 
ger of the Saviour of the world. How 
then must his parents and friends have 
looked upon the infant John. With 
what care and anxiety did they w r atch 
over him, and how diligent were they 



30 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

in informing his mind and moulding 
his morals. King Solomon had said 
long before, " Train up a child in the 
way he should go, and when he is old 
he will not depart from it." No doubt 
Zacharias and Elizabeth remembered 
these words, and tried daily to train 
up their son " in the nurture and ad- 
monition of the Lord." I suppose 
they also remembered the words of 
Moses. "And these words which I 
command thee this day shall be in 
thine heart, and thou shalt teach them 
diligently unto thy children, and shalt 
talk of them when thou sittest in thine 
house, and when thou walkest by the 
way, and when thou liest down, and 
when thou risest up." How delight- 
ful it would be to John to hear of 
Adam and Enoch, of Noah, Abraham, 
and David. A venerable minister, 
speaking of his grandmother, says, 
"The young people were delighted 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 31 

with her society, and profited too, as 
she was accustomed in entertaining 
them with her conversation, to draw 
many of her anecdotes from the Scrip- 
tures, which she would tell in a soft 
pious strain that made an impression 
on my mind lasting as life." Me thinks 
I almost see the child John, as he 
stands with sparkling eyes by his 
mother's knee, and looking up in her 
face, listens to her accounts of the 
patriarchs and prophets, and to her 
instructions drawn from their writings. 

Under such training, such a child 
would not fail to make rapid improve- 
ment. We need not be surprised to 
learn that, " the child grew, and wax- 
ed strong in spirit" that he became 
remarkable for strength of intellect, 
and boldness of resolution, and his 
attainments in religious knowledge. 

About six months after the birth 
of John, the infant Jesus was born. 



32 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

Joseph and Mary usually resided in 
Nazareth. But, about this time, Au- 
gustus Cesar issued a decree for 
numbering and taxing the people of 
his empire. One part of this decree 
was exceedingly oppressive. It re- 
quired persons who had settled at a 
distance, to return to the city of their 
birth to be numbered and taxed. Be- 
ing originally of the city of Bethle- 
hem, Joseph and Mary were obliged 
to repair to that place. While they 
were there Jesus was born. But 
Joseph and Mary returned again to 
Nazareth. Here Jesus spent most 
of his time, until he was thirty years 
of age, the period when the Jewish 
law allowed persons designed for the 
nriesthood to enter upon the office. 

The residence of John was about 
one hundred miles from Nazareth. 
This circumstance was wisely order- 
ed, so that when John went forth to 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 33 

commence his ministry, and to bear 
testimony to the Messiah, he did not 
know his person, but received all his 
information concerning him directly 
from God. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Scenery of the hill country of Judea — Its effects 
in forming- the character of John — His parents mo- 
dels of excellence — John enters upon his public 
ministry — His personal appearance and habits — 
Character of his preaching. 

The hill country of Judea abound- 
ed in wild and romantic scenery. 
Here a bare and rugged hill lifted its 
head to the storms, and there opened 
a deep glen leading to a small but 
picturesque valley, enamelled with 
flowers. Occasionally a spring gush- 
ed out at the side of a hill forming a 
small rivulet, and uniting with kin- 
dred rills wound its way beneath over- 
hanging shrubs and trees to the Jor<? 



34 LIFE OF JOHtf THE BAPTISTT. 

dan or the Dead Sea. In the clefts 
of the rocks, the wild bees deposited 
large store* of honey, while the vine 
shot from the scanty, but fertile soil, 
and climbed the side of the steep 
rock y or spread its mantling foliage 
orer the tops of the nearest shrubs 
and trees, displaying at the same time 
its rich and tempting clusters of fruit. 
Amid such scenes John spent his 
time until he was thirty years of age. 
The soft luxury of courts and ban- 
queting rooms had not exerted their 
enfeebling influence upon his charac- 
ter. The fire and boldness of his 
noble spirit had suffered no diminu- 
tion from ease and indulgence. His 
morals were uncontaminated by the 
vices of crowded cities. Trained up 
in nature's own school, amid her 
sublime and inspiring scenery, and 
having before him those fine models 
of intelligent virtue, his excellent 






LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 35 

parents, and above all, being favoured 
with an unusual measure of divine 
influence, he was prepared to come 
forth as a prophet of the highest 
order. 

The time had at length arrived, 
when he was to enter upon his pub- 
lic ministry. Descending from the 
hill country, he opened his mission in 
the populous valley of the Jordan. 
Like the prophet Elijah, he seemed 
much like a messenger issuing from 
the other world. His appearance was 
sudden and unexpected, and his per- 
son and manners altogether singular. 
As though he had little concern with 
the pleasures of this world, his dress 
was a hairy mantle, " bound about with 
a leathern girdle, and his meat locusts 
and wild honey," or honey which had 
been deposited in the clefts of the 
rocks by the wild bees. 

The character of his address was 



36 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

bold and alarming. The substance 
of his preaching was repentance to- 
ward God, and faith in the promised 
and already approaching Messiah; 
or, in other words, " Repent ye, for 
the kingdom of heaven is at hand," 
the King Messiah is on his way to 
set up his kingdom in every penitent 
and believing heart. 

The power of his inspired elo- 
quence filled his hearers with awe, 
and his announcement of the speedy 
fulfilment of the prophecies in the 
coming of the Messiah awoke uni- 
versal interest. Hundreds flocked to 
his ministry from Jerusalem, and from 
the towns and villages of Judea and 
Galilee. Some thought he must be 
the Messiah, but he assured them he 
was not, " saying unto the people, 
that they should believe on him that 
should come after him, that is, on 
Christ Jesus." 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 37 

Of those who professed to be truly 
penitent, he took a solemn pledge 
by baptism, that when the Messiah 
should make his appearance among 
them, they would enrol themselves 
with the number of his disciples. 

Thus did he fulfil the prophecy of 
the angel : " And many of the chil- 
dren of Israel shall he turn to the 
Lord their God : and he shall go be- 
fore him [the Messiah] in the spirit 
and power of Elijah, to turn the 
hearts of the fathers to the children, 
and the disobedient to the wisdom of 
the just, to make ready a people pre- 
pared of the Lord." 

" Hark, in the wilderness a cry, 

A voice that loudly calls, Prepare, 
Prepare your hearts, for God is nigh, 
And means to make his entrance there. 

" The Lord your God shall quickly come, 

Sinners, repent, the call obey, . 

Open your hearts to make him room ; 

Ye desert souls, prepare the way. 



38 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

" The Lord shall clear his way through all, 
What e'er obstructs, obstructs in vain ; 
The vale shall rise, the mountain fall, 
Crooked be straight, and rugged plain." 



CHAPTER V. 

The popularity of John as a preacher — Pharisees 
and Sadducees — What kind of a Messiah they ex- 
pected — John gives them a solemn and cutting re- 
proof — John's instructions to the publicans and sol- 
diers — Repentance — What it is — How to overcome 
evil. 

The popularity of John as a preach- 
er daily increased. To this the sud 
denness of his appearance, the singu- 
larity of his dress and manners, and 
the power of his eloquence, greatly 
contributed. But it was more espe 
cially the character of his mission 
which awoke so great an interest. 
His countrymen were looking for the 
appearance of the promised Messiah, 
but they knew a great prophet was 
to go before him and announce his 






LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 39 

coming. John claimed to be that 
prophet, and all were anxious to hear 
what he had to say about the Mes- 
siah. Great numbers flocked to hear 
from far and near. 

Among those who came, were 
many Pharisees and Sadducees. The 
Pharisees were the most numerous 
and popular sect among the Jews. 
They had their name from the word 
pharash^ which signifies separated, or 
set apart, and they applied this title 
to themselves, because they professed 
to separate themselves from the rest 
of the Jews, for superior strictness in 
religion. 

They pretended to govern their 
conduct by the law of Moses, and 
the traditions of their elders, or chief 
men ; and they accounted these tra- 
ditions to be of greater authority than 
the Scriptures themselves. They be- 
lieved in the existence of spirits and 



40 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

angels, the resurrection of the body, 
and future rewards and punishments. 
But they were proud 7 arrogant, avari- 
cious, and hypocritical. They made 
great pretensions to justice, while they 
despoiled the helpless widow and 
orphan of their little property : and 
they made long prayers in public 
places, to be seen of men. Haughty 
and censorious, they boasted that, from 
their accurate knowledge of religion, 
they were the favourites of Heaven : 
and thus trusting in themselves that 
they were righteous, they despised 
others. 

The Sadducees took their name 
from one Sadoc, w r ho maintained that 
there was no future state of rewards 
and punishments. They also denied 
the existence of angels and spirits, 
and the resurrection of the dead. 
Though they professed to believe in 
the law of Moses, they paid very little 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 41 

regard to its authority, and were, in 
fact, a set of practical infidels, guilty 
of all sorts of wickedness. 

Both these sects were expecting a 
Messiah, but it was altogether " such 
a one as themselves" that they looked 
for. They wanted a military Mes- 
siah, who should go forth at the head 
of a slaughtering army, and enrich 
them with the spoils of vanquished 
nations. 

It was their expectation, and eager 
desire for such a Messiah, that in- 
duced them to go out to hear the new 
minister. When John saw such per- 
sons flocking to his ministry, and ask- 
ing to be baptized, he felt mingled 
emotions of pity and abhorrence. 
Knowing that there was no hope of 
doing them good, unless he could 
show them the wickedness of their 
own hearts, and being convinced that 
desperate diseases require powerful 



42 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

remedies, he addressed them in the 
most alarming language. Comparing 
them to a generation of malignant 
serpents, or a brood of poisonous 
vipers, he inquired, "Who hath warn- 
ed you to flee from the wrath to come ? 
Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy 
of repentance, and begin not to say 
within yourselves, We have Abraham 
to our father ; for I say unto you, God 
is able of these stones to raise up 
children unto Abraham. And now, 
also, the axe is laid unto the root of 
the tree : every tree, therefore, which 
bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn 
down, and cast into the fire." The 
meaning of this pointed address may 
be better understood by the young 
reader, if we give it in other words. 
It seems to be this: " What has brought 
you, Pharisees and Sadducees, here ? 
and why do you ask for baptism ? Do 
you not know that the doctrine which 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 43 

I preach is the doctrine of repent- 
ance ? This is the preparation you 
must have to meet the coming Mes- 
siah. If you would receive any be- 
nefit from him, weep over your sins, 
sorrow for them with a godly sorrow, 
and break them off at once, and for 
ever. Your haughty spirits must be 
humbled. Your self-righteousness 
must give way to a broken and con- 
trite spirit. You, who have in your 
possession ' the unjust balances, the 
bag of deceitful or false weights, and 
the scant measure, who have robbed 
the widow and the orphan, and op- 
pressed the hireling in his wages/ 
must restore your unjust gains. You 
who have grown rich by robbery 
must return what you have so cruelly 
taken away. In this way bring forth 
fruits worthy of repentance. I know 
you will reply to this, We are the 
children of Abraham, and are God's 



44 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

covenant people. But I assure you, 
God's promises are only to those 
children of Abraham who follow his 
example, and live holy lives, as he 
lived. And if the promises of God 
were likely to fail because there were 
no holy children of Abraham, God 
could raise them up, or create them 
out of the stones of the street, or 
dust of the earth. And now, what 
you do, do quickly. For as the axe- 
man lays his axe to the root of the 
tree that he may prepare to cut it 
down immediately, so God is now 
preparing to cut down and destroy 
every one who does not bear good 
fruit." 

This alarming address was not with- 
out its effect. Some were awakened 
and cried out, "What shall we do." 
In reply, he first began to teach them 
their duty to each other. They were 
uncharitable and oppressive, and he 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 45 

taught them not to expect any mercy 
from God while they were unmerci- 
ful to one another. " He that hath 
two coats," said he, " let him impart 
to him that hath none ; and he that 
hath meat, let him do likewise." St. 
John taught the same doctrine : " Who- 
so hath this world's goods, and seeth 
his brother have need, and shutteth 
up his bowels of compassion from 
him, how dwelleth the love of God 
in him V Christ would have us 
show our faith in him, and our lov.e 
to him, by being merciful, as he is 
merciful. 

Next the publicans came, and said 
to John, " Master, and what shall we 
do ?" These men were tax-gatherers 
for the Roman government. As the 
Jews hated their conquerors, it was 
mortifying to their pride, as well as 
galling to their avarice, to be obliged 
to pay them tribute. This made these 



46 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

tax-gatherers very odious to them; 
besides, many of them were unjust, 
and made use of their office to extort 
money from the people for their own 
private use. In his reply to these 
men, John struck at their idol sin, 
their oppressive and dishonest gains. 
" Exact," said he, " no more than is 
appointed you." 

There was still another class who 
had been touched with a sense of 
their sinfulness by John's heart- 
sqarching preaching. They were 
soldiers, probably Herod's soldiers. 
They came forward and asked, "And 
what shall we do V* He immediately 
pointed to the vices to which a licen- 
tious soldiery are under the greatest 
temptation. " Do violence," said he, 
"to no man, neither accuse any false- 
ly, and be content with your wages." 
That is, " Put no man in fear, either 
from wanton cruelty, or in order to 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 47 

extort property by threats of violence ; 
nor accuse any man falsely, in order 
to obtain a reward for a pretended 
zeal in the discharge of duty, or to 
share in the fines and confiscations 
inflicted on suspected persons ; and 
be content with your wages, not seek- 
ing to obtain more, either by fraud or 
force." 

This was by no means all that John 
taught the people. His chief object 
was to turn their attention to the Mes- 
siah, as their only Saviour. But he 
began with repentance, as without 
this, his coming- could do them no 
good. The Messiah himself would 
not save them in their si?is. The first 
business then was, " to cease to do 
evil, and learn to do well? 

The preaching of John may teach 
us a very important lesson. We see 
here the nature of true repentance. 
People may often deceive themselves 



48 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

about this. You may hear a person 
say, u I always repent of my sins." 
But how ? " Why, if I sin I always 
feel that I have done wrong." And 
this is all his repentance. He calls 
the reproaches of a guilty conscience 
repentance. Because he*fells reproved 
for his sins, he maintains that he re- 
pents of them. What a dreadful de- 
lusion ! 

Another is sorry for his sins because 
they are known to the world, and have 
brought him into disgrace. A third is 
sorry for his, because they have ruined 
his health or wasted his property; and 
a fourth, only because he fears punish- 
ment. Now, all this may be without 
one particle of repentance. Do you 
ask, What then is repentance? how 
sorry must a person be for his sins ? 
I answer, Sorry enough to give them up. 
If a man has defrauded his neighbour 
out of one or one hundred dollars, he 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, 49 

must go and return it. If he has said 
that which is untrue about him, he 
must confess the untruth. If he has 
been self-willed, ungrateful and diso- 
obedient to God, he must be sorry 
enough to continue so no longer. The 
best evidence of repentance is re- 
formation ; and if there is no reforma- 
tion there is no repentance. If my 
young reader has been disobedient to 
his parents, unkind to his brothers 
and sisters or associates, or has spent 
the holy sabbath in an improper man- 
ner, he must do so no more : and if 
he has sinned against God by refusing 
to give him his heart, he must refuse 
no longer. If he does, he has not 
repented at all. If he persist in his 
sins, God will not forgive him at all : 
and if God does not forgive him, he 
must perish for ever. My dear reader, 
do you repent of your sins ? do you 
4 



50 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

break them off, and thus " bring forth 
fruits worthy of repentance l" 

" The fruitless showers of worldly wo 
Fall dark to earth, and never rise ; 
While tears that from repentance flow 
In bright exhalement reach the skies. ' r 

Again : The answer of John to those 
who inquired what they should do, 
may. show us the necessity of guard- 
ing against our " most easily besetting 
sins." Almost every person is more 
in danger from some one sin than 
he is from others. With one, pride 
is the besetting sin ; with another, 
covetousness ; with another still, de- 
ception, or falsehood; while a fourth 
is disobedient to parents, or has a bad 
temper. All these particular sins gain 
strength by indulgence ; and are more 
and more difficult to overcome the 
longer we continue to practise them. 
Perhaps it will be asked, " How are 
we to overcome these besetting sins 1" 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 51 

Now, I think the apostle Paul has 
answered this question. He tells us 

" TO OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD." 

If we have been covetous, we must 
overcome this disposition by liberal- 
ity : an evil temper must be overcome 
by constantly cherishing feelings of 
kindness : pride must be turned out 
of the heart by letting humility into it: 
and the spirit of self-will must give 
'place to that of submission. 

I do not say that we can do all this 
alone. Our Saviour says, " Without 
me ye can do nothing." But his 
apostle says, " Christ strengthening 
me, I can do all things." We must 
pray, then, while we labour. We 
must ask for divine influence to assist 
us. While God " works in us, both 
to will and to do, we must work out 
our salvation with fear and trembling." 

I can illustrate this. In the spring 
we put up our fences, we plough, and 



52 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

sow, and plant. If we neglect this, 
we get no crop. We never reap 
where no one has sowed. But after 
all our ploughing, sowing, and plant- 
ing, we cannot make a single blade 
of corn, or stalk of wheat grow. If 
God withhold the warm sun and re- 
freshing showers, all our labour is in 
vain. But if we do our part, and 
God does his, then our fields are 
crowned with a rich harvest. Now* 
prayer, and faith, and painstaking are 
as necessary as ploughing and sow- 
ing. God will give that to our labour 
and prayers which he has never pro- 
mised without them. 

Once more : As we keep briers, this- 
tles, and other noxious plants and 
weeds out of our fields and gardens, 
by filling them with valuable grains 
and precious fruits, so we must cul- 
tivate that which is good in our hearts, 
or they will be overrun with evil. 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 53 



CHAPTER VI. 

John's character tested — False Christs — John's 
humility — His testimony of Christ — Necessity of a 
new heart — Thrashing floors in the East — End of 
the wicked — Affectionate address to the reader. 

A fair opportunity now offered for 
testing the character of John. Ex- 
pectation was high concerning the 
coming of the Messiah. The pro- 
phecies showed the time had arrived 
for his advent, and every day the peo- 
ple were looking for his appearance. 
Indeed, about this time, or a little 
after, so great and general was the 
interest, that several impostors took 
advantage of it, and proclaimed them- 
selves to be the Messiah. Josephus 
says that there were many who, pre- 
tending to divine inspiration, deceived 
the people. They led numbers out 
to the desert, pretending that God 
would there show them the signs of 



54 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

liberty, meaning deliverance from the 
Roman power. One Egyptian false 
prophet led thirty thousand men into 
the desert, who were almost all cut 
off by Felix, the Roman governor. 
There was also one Doslheus, who 
pretended he was the Messiah. 

In the midst of such a state of 
things how easily might John have set 
up a claim to the Messiahship ! So 
powerful was his preaching, and such 
an influence had he won in the public 
mind, that some even came to ask 
him if he was not the Christ. Had 
John been an ambitious man, or any 
thing short of a prophet of the Lord, 
what a temptation was now before 
him ! But it was one w T hich had not 
the least influence upon him. He 
entertained the most low^ly thoughts 
of himself. His heart was the gar- 
den of humility. 



XIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 55 

' Humility,, that low sweet root 
From which all heavenly virtues shoot," 

"I," said he, " indeed baptize you 
with water unto repentance, but he 
that cometh after me is mightier than 
I, whose shoes I am not worthy to 
bear ; he shall baptize you with the 
Holy Ghost and with fire." This 
declaration of John is expressive of 
the most profound humility and reve- 
rence. The Jewish shoes were a 
kind of sandals, fastened to the foot 
with strings, and were laid aside to 
wash the feet on entering a house 
before meals. The unloosing the 
sandals, and carrying them away till 
wanted, was an office of the lowest 
kind, both among Jews and Greeks. 
No words could therefore more forci- 
bly express the sense that John had 
of the superiority of Christ. In his 
view, he was supreme Lord, and 



55 1ATE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

himself a servant so low in compari- 
son of this " mightier" Being, that 
he was not worthy even to unloose 
and bear his sandals.* 

There is in John's declaration an- 
other point not to be overlooked. He 
declared Christ should baptize them 
with the Holy Ghost and with fire. 
This shows, that while he considered 
repentance to be of the utmost import- 
ance, still he knew this alone was in- 
sufficient. We must not only repent, 
but we must be renewed. The heart 
of stone, the cold, hard, unfeeling, 
ungrateful heart, must not only be 
mourned over, but it must be " taken 
away," and Christ must give us hearts 
of flesh y that is, tender, loving, grate- 
ful, obedient hearts. The fire must 
consume our sins, and purify our souls. 
Christ must impart to us a searching 
and purifying influence. This is bap- 

* Watson^ 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 57 

tizing us with the Holy Ghost and 
with fire. This is what our Saviour 
calls being "born again ;" and without 
which we cannot see the kingdom 
of heaven, much less can we ever 
hope to enter it. 

John went on to enforce the neces- 
sity of this work by the most alarm- 
ing language. He told them the 
Messiah's " fan was in his hand, and 
that he would thoroughly cleanse his 
floor, and gather the wheat into his 
garner, but would burn up the chaff 
w r ith unquenchable fire." The im- 
pressive metaphors here used are 
taken from the process of thrashing 
among the Je ws . The thrashing place 
was selected on elevated ground, open 
on every side to the wind. Though 
called a floor, it was nothing but a 
plat of ground levelled and rolled, 
so as to be hard and smooth. The 
sheaves, being thrown upon it, were 



58 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

trodden by oxen, or beaten by a ma- 
chine. Then the winnowing fan was 
used to throw up the grain to the 
wind, that the chaff might be sepa- 
rated from it, while the straw, being 
crushed beneath the feet of the oxen, 
or by the machine, was rendered 
worthless, and was reserved with the 
chaff to heat their ovens. 

Thus, as the worthless chaff was 
only fit for burning, so John repre- 
sents obstinate sinners as reserved for 
the fire, with this difference : the fire 
which consumed the chaff was ex- 
tinguishable, but those who contend 
with God are to be ever consuming, 
ever feeling his displeasure, for the 
fire is " unquenchable." Dear im- 
penitent reader, dare you live in sin 
any longer ? can you bear this " un- 
quenchable fire V* Or rather, will you 
not fly to Jesus, and rest not till your 
peace is made with him ? 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 59 

11 Jesus, lover of my soul 
Let me to thy bosom fly ; 
While the nearer waters roll, 
While the tempest still is high. 

All my trust on thee is stay'd, 

All my help on thee I bring*, 
Cover my defenceless head 

With the shadow of thy wing.* 



CHAPTER VII. 

No personal acquaintance between John and Jesus 
—The Spirit gives John a sign by which he may 
know the Messiah — Jesus comes to John for baptism 
— John's feelings on that occasion — An extraordi- 
nary scene — Messengers from the Sanhedrim wait 
on John — The interview overruled for good. 

Though John was daily predicting 
the speedy appearance of the Mes- 
siah, he had still no personal acquaint- 
ance with him. Their mothers were 
cousins, it is true, but they lived at a 
distance from each other, and we 
never hear of their meeting after 
about the time of John's birth. God 
knew the Jewish rulers would reject 



60 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

the Messiah as an impostor. He 
therefore so directed events that they 
should not avail themselves of the 
plea that there was a concert between 
him and John. John lived in the 
thinly inhabited hill country, and held 
very little intercourse with the world, 
while Jesus continued with his parents 
at Nazareth. 

That John might know the Messiah 
when he should see him, God gave 
him a sign. He informed him that 
he should see the Spirit descending 
in the form or similitude of a dove, 
and alighting upon Jesus. 

John was now at Bethabara, near 
where the Jordan empties into the 
Dead Sea. Here he had preached 
and baptized such numbers that he 
was called John the Baptist, or the 
Baptizer. 

While thus faithfully fulfilling his 
mission, Jesus came from Nazareth 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 61 

to be baptized. It is difficult to tell 
the reasons why the Messiah should 
wish to be baptized by John. He 
certainly needed not the baptism of 
repentance, for he was " holy, harm- 
less, undefiled, and separate from sin- 
ners :" - he had no sins to repent of. 
Some suppose it was to be initiated 
into the priestly office, according to the 
customary forms, but this is not quite 
clear. Others suppose it was to hon- 
our John's ministry, and that Jesus 
and John might give mutual testi- 
mony to each other. But we are 
nowhere distinctly informed that this 
was the design. We simply know 
that it was the will of God, and that 
is enough. One indication of the 
divine will is worth a thousand rea- 
sons. John and Jesus only wanted 
to know His good pleasure, and it 
was more than their meat and drink 
to do it. 



62 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

When John saw Jesus coming to 
his baptism, the prophetic spirit which 
rested upon him seems to have sug- 
gested that this was the Messiah. 
Overwhelmed with a sense of his in- 
feriority, he said, " I have need to be 
baptized of thee, and comest thou to 
me ?" The Saviour replied, " Suffer 
it to be so now, for thus it becometh 
us to fulfil all righteousness." This 
was sufficient : John objected no far- 
ther, but immediately administered 
the sacred ordinance. 

After Jesus had been baptized, a 
very interesting and extraordinary 
event took place. As he prayed, the 
heavens were opened, and "the Spirit 
of God descending like a dove" rested 
upon him. Probably the appearance 
was that of a white lucid flame, part- 
ed like the wings of a dove, and de- 
scending with a slow hovering motion. 
This was a beautiful and expressive 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 63 

symbol. A dove has long been con- 
sidered as an emblem of innocence 
and peace. How significant of the 
character of our blessed Lord ! 

The sign which John had now re- 
ceived, testifying that Jesus was the 
Messiah, was still farther confirmed 
by an audible voice from heaven, 
which was heard distinctly pronounc- 
ing, "Thou art my beloved Son, in 

WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED." 

Here were the Father speaking from 
heaven, the Son who had just received 
baptism, and the Spirit assuming a 
visible form. This may remind us 
of a great and important truth, name- 
ly, that Jehovah is revealed to us in 
his word as Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost. * 

The powerful preaching of John, 
and his extraordinary zeal and sanc- 
tity, had made a very strong and ge- 

* See Clarke on Matt, iii, 16. 



64 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

neral impression on the Jewish nation. 
Though he gave no countenance to 
such an opinion, many were begin- 
ning to think he might be the Messiah. 
This, with his increasing popularity, 
alarmed the great Jewish council, 
called the Sanhedrim. Learning also 
that his teaching did not agree with 
their notions of a military Messiah, 
they sent some of their chief men to 
visit him. 

Probably they hoped to draw some- 
thing from him by which they might 
take measures to silence him. 

The messengers, having arrived at 
Bethabara, asked him if he claimed 
to be the Messiah. He told them he 
did not. What then, said they, " Art 
thou Elijah ?" John replied, " I am not." 
By this he did not mean that he w r as 
not the prophet who was to come "in 
the spirit and power of Elijah." But 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 65 

as they supposed Elijah in person was 
to come, and asked if he was the real 
Elijah, he answered their question 
just as they proposed it. They then 
inquired, "Art thou that prophet?" 
Perhaps they meant by this question, 
"Art thou that prophet whose coming 
was predicted by Moses |" Deut. xviii, 
15. Or, as they had a tradition among 
them, that Jeremiah was to come back 
in the time of the Messiah's advent, 
it may be they wished to know whe- 
ther John professed to be that pro- 
phet. John told them he was not any 
of those prophets to whom they re- 
ferred. They then asked, " Who art 
thou? that we may give an answer to 
them that sent us. What sayest thou 
of thyself V He replied, that he was 
the person whose coming was pre- 
dicted by the prophet Isaiah, as the 
Messiah's herald. "I am," said he, 

5 



66 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

"the voice of one crying in the wil- 
derness, make straight the way of the 
Lord." 

; This answer did not at all satisfy 
them. They belonged to the sect of 
the Pharisees, and were very much 
attached to their old customs, and 
very jealous of innovations. Though 
they believed, when the Messiah came, 
he, or some of his retinue, would bap- 
tize all, yet as John confessed he was 
not the Messiah, they thought he w r as 
exercising authority which did not 
belong to him. " Why baptizest thou 
then," said they, " if thou be not that 
Christ, nor Elijah, neither that pro- 
phet?" John answered, that to pre- 
pare them for the reception of the 
Messiah he called them to repentance 
and admitted the penitent to his bap- 
tism. But he told them it was only 
with water as a sign or emblem of the 
spiritual cleansing which they must 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 67 

have. But he assured them there was 
one already among them, whom as 
yet they knew not ; one so greatly his 
superior, that he was unworthy to be 
even his lowest servant — to unloose 
his shoes, or sandals. 

These messengers had probably 
come with no very good design. But 
God so overruled their mission that it 
gave John an excellent opportunity 
to proclaim the Messiah. The con- 
versation took place in presence of a 
large concourse of people, who would 
not fail to listen with interest, and 
who must have been more deeply im- 
pressed than ever with the expecta- 
tion that the long expected Deliverer 
was at hand. 



6& LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Jesus is tempted in the desert forty days — He 
returns to Bethabara — John publicly announces him 
as the Messiah — Explanation of the title, u Lamb of 
God" — John points out the Messiah to Andrew — 
John's last testimony of Jesus. 

After his baptism, Jesus went into 
the desert, where he continued forty 
days. As he came not only to atone 
for our sins, but also to set us an ex- 
ample, it was necessary that he should 
suffer as we suffer, and be tempted 
as we are. On this account the Spirit 
of God had led him into the wilder- 
ness, where Satan was permitted to 
tempt him, and w T here he waged a 
long spiritual conflict with the pow- 
ers of darkness. 

After the tempter had been foiled 
in every attack, and our blessed Lord 
had set us an example of successful 
resistance, he again returned to Beth- 
abara. He was now about to enter 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 69 

on his public ministry, and it was pro- 
per that his herald should distinctly 
point him out to the multitudes who 
were expecting his coming. As soon, 
therefore, as John saw him approach- 
ing, he announced him as the Christ. 
Addressing his hearers, he cried, 
" Behold the Lamb of God, which 
taketh away the sin of the 

WORLD." 

The title, " Lamb of God," was 
very significant. Isaiah had spoken 
of the Messiah under the figure of a 
lamb offered in sacrifice. " He is 
led," said the prophet, "like a lamb to 
the slaughter." In the temple two 
lambs were daily slain, and offered 
as a sin offering, or typical atonement. 
These pointed to the Messiah as the 
lamb provided by God to make a real 
atonement. In these sacrifices seve- 
ral things are to be noticed. 

First, The lamb is a very innocent 



70 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

creature. So Jesus was " holy, harm- 
less, and undefiled." Secondly, The 
lamb had to be slain ; its blood was 
shed. So Jesus was to be led " like a 
lamb to the slaughter ;" his blood was 
to be shed. Thirdly, The lamb was 
offered (typically) as a sin offering, to 
atone for transgression. So Jesus was 
to die as a sin offering. Fourthly, 
The lamb bled not for himself, but as 
a sacrifice for others. So Jesus died 
not for himself, but for guilty men- 
he died " the just for the unjust \ that 
he might bring us to God." He was 

" the victim slain, 



A sacrifice for guilty men, 

By the Eternal Spirit made 

An offering in the sinner's stead." 

After announcing Jesus as the Lamb 
of God, John went on to say to his 
hearers, " This is he of whom I 
said, After me cometh a man which 
is preferred before me." He also 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 71 

assured them he had enjoyed no per- 
sonal acquaintance with him, and 
when he began to proclaim his ap- 
proach did not even know him : that 
he only knew in general that his own 
preaching and baptism were designed 
by God as the means of preparing 
the way for him. "But," said he, 
"he that sent me to baptize with 
water, said unto me, Upon whom thou 
shalt see the Spirit descending and 
remaining on him, the same is he that 
baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And 
I saw the Spirit descending from hea- 
ven like a dove, and it abode upon 
him. And I saw, and bear record, 
that this is the Son of God." 

The next day after John had pub- 
licly pointed out Jesus as the Lamb 
of God, he was standing with two of 
his disciples ; one of these was An- 
drew, brother to Peter. Both he and 
Peter were afterward apostles of 



72 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

Jesus. The other is supposed to have 
been John, the son of Zebedee, who 
also became an apostle, and was call- 
ed the beloved disciple. As they 
stood together, Jesus passed by, and 
John again exclaimed, "Behold the 
Lamb of God." Immediately the two 
disciples followed Jesus, who, observ- 
ing them, said, "What seek ye?" 
They replied, " Master, where dwell- 
est thou T He answered, " Come and 
see." They went, and doubtless much 
to their satisfaction and delight, spent 
the evening with him. 

After this interview, Andrew went 
and found his brother Peter, and said 
to him, "We have found the Mes- 
siah." Peter immediately went with 
Andrew to Jesus, and this introduction 
prepared the way for both these bro- 
thers to become apostles. 

Some time after these events, a de- 
bate arose between some of John's 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 73 

disciples and some other persons, the 
occasion of which was this. Jesus 
was at this time in Judea, and some 
of his disciples were by his direction 
baptizing great numbers of the people 
who received him as the Messiah. 
John was in a place called Enon, 
where he still preached and baptized. 
The subject of debate seems to have 
been, either which baptism was the 
most efficacious, John's or Christ's; 
or, as some suppose, how Christ, who 
had come to John for baptism, should 
rebaptize John's disciples. To settle 
the matter, they came and said to 
John, " Master, he that was with thee 
beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest 
witness, behold, the same baptizeth, 
and all men come to him." 

John replied, that a man of God, or 
prophet, could assume no higher dig- 
nity than God saw fit to confer upon 
him. He reminded them that he 



: 



74 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

never pretended to be the Messiah, 
but only his herald, sent to give no- 
tice of his coming, and prepare the 
people for his reception. He told 
them, that so far was he from envy- 
ing his growing fame, or the number 
of his disciples, that he greatly re- 
joiced in both ; and that his highest 
joy was, that men should cheerfully 
submit to the Messiah, and pay him 
all due honour. John farther assured 
them, that Jesus must increase, and 
become more and more glorious, while, 
said he, " I must decrease," must gra- 
dually decline, until I disappear, for 
the end of my ministry is in a great 
measure answered, and I expect soon 
to be dismissed from it. 

He then proceeded to bear the most 
ample testimony to Jesus as the great 
Messiah, setting forth his dignity in 
the plenitude of his commission, the 
excellence of his gifts, the nearness 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 75 

of his relation to his heavenly Father 
as his only Son, and the greatness of 
his power as universal Judge. This 
was the last testimony of John which 
is found in the sacred history, and it 
ends with these remarkable words : 
"He that believeth on the Son hath ever- 
lasting life, and he that believeth not the 
Son shall not see life, but the wrath 
of God abideth on himP 

My dear reader, reflect on the so- 
lemn words, "He that believeth on 
the Son hath everlasting life." What 
a promise for a poor guilty sinner ! 
What is there tender or affecting, 
winning, inviting, rich, or glorious, 
that is not to be found here ? 

" To him that in His name believes, 
Eternal life with him is given ; 
Into himself he all receives, 

Pardon, and holiness, and heaven." 

Well may such a soul exclaim : 



76 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

" I leap for joy, pursue my way, 
And as a bounding hart fly home ; 
Through all eternity to prove 
His nature and his name is love." 

But, on the other hand, "He that 
believeth not the Son shall not see 
life, but the wrath of God abideth on 
him." O who can endure this ! 

" What ! to be banish'd from my God, 
And yet forbid to die ; 
To linger in eternal pain, 
And death for ever fly." 

" O, wretched state of dark despair, 
To see my God remove, 
And fix my endless portion where 
I must not taste his love." 



CHAPTER IX. 

A wicked king — John reproves him, and is cast 
into prison— The wicked in prosperity, and the 
righteous in adversity — This is not a world of pun- 
ishment — Testimony of the Bible — Address to the 
reader. 

Some time before the days of John 
the Baptist, the Jews had been con- 
quered by the Romans. It was still 






LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 77 

under their government, and received 
its rulers by the appointment of the 
Roman emperor. A few years before 
the birth of John, an Idumean named 
Herod had been appointed to the 
government, with the title of king. 
After spending a long life in the prac- 
tice of the most savage tyranny he 
died, and left his kingdom to be di- 
vided between his sons. Among these 
was one called Herod Antipas, who 
governed Galilee and Perea with the 
title of tetrarch.* He was a genuine 
son of a bloodthirsty father. Besides 
his other crimes, this vicious prince 
had married Herodias, the wife of his 
own brother. Herodias was the grand- 
daughter of the first Herod, and had 
married her uncle Philip. But she 
forsook him, and married Herod An- 
tipas, who was also her uncle. 

* A tetrarch was, literally, governor of the fourth 
part of a Roman province. 



, 



78 LIFE OP JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

Having become acquainted with 
John, Herod entertained great vene- 
ration for him. His holy life and 
eminent abilities won his admiration. 
He listened to John with respectful 
attention, and even began to practise 
many things which this holy minister 
enjoined. But John knew very well 
there was no hope of his salvation 
while he was publicly living with an- 
other man's wife. He knew too the re- 
vengeful and bloody character of the 
whole race of Herods. But he was 
not to be deterred from duty by fear 
of danger while love and fidelity to 
his Master, and compassion for a 
perishing sinner, prompted him to its 
performance. He also knew the evil 
effects of this shameful example upon 
the public morals, and in language 
mild, modest, and yet pointed, he 
told Herod it was not lawful for 
him to have his brother's wife. This 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 79 

was touching Herod's idol sin at the 
core. In the phrensy of his passion 
he would have put John to death im- 
mediately, but he feared the people. 
His abuse of power had already kin- 
dled their resentments, and should he 
now proceed to put a holy prophet to 
death, he feared a flame might break 
out which he should be unable to 
quench. He therefore contented him- 
self by seizing John and casting him 
into prison. Josephus says he was 
imprisoned at Macherus, a town 
near the place where the Jordan 
empties into the Dead Sea. He also 
tells us that Herod was jealous of 
John's influence, because he drew so 
great a multitude after him. This 
perhaps was the pretence ; but the 
true cause was his hatred, and that 
of Herodias, because he had censured 
their scandalous marriage. 

We now see John in prison, and 



80 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

probably loaded with chains, while 
Herod and his guilty paramour are 
in a palace. What a picture is this ! 
John, the eloquent and holy prophet, 
on whose lips listening multitudes 
had hung with so much wonder and 
delight, and from whom they had re- 
ceived so much edification — John, 
who had been the means of saving 
so many souls, who was just in the 
prime of life, and in the midst of his 
usefulness, is seized by the hand of 
ruthless violence and thrown into a 
prison. And for what ? Why, for 
the tender solicitude he felt for the 
cause of public morals, and the love 
he bore to a perishing sinner. The 
highest virtue is his only crime. 

On the other side of the picture, 
behold Herod, with his guilty com- 
panion. As a magistrate, he is bound 
by every righteous principle to set 
an example of virtue and uprightness 



, 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, 81 

before his subjects. His life should 
be blameless, and his decisions im- 
partial He should be the friend and 
father of his people. The oppressed 
should find in him a deliverer, the 
poor a benefactor, and the wicked a 
righteous judge. 

But instead of this, he turns the 
office of justice into that of tyranny. 
The power which was given him 
to defend the innocent he employs 
for their oppression. To complete 
his crimes he sets an example of pub- 
lic and high-handed robbery before 
the whole nation, by wresting from 
his own brother that which was most 
dear to him, the wife of his youth. 
Now, are men punished for their sins 
in this life ? Some say they are. But 
why then is not this guilty Herod in 
a dungeon and loaded with chains ? 
Why is he not fed on the bread and 
water of affliction, and suffering as 



mt 



82 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

much more than this, as his giant 
crimes deserve ? Instead of this, the 
innocent John is in the dungeon, while 
the criminal Herod lives in a palace, 
rides in his gilded chariot, sways his 
sceptre over his thousands, feasts on 
the choicest delicacies, and rests upon 
a bed of down ! 

This is not a world of retribution. 
Men do not receive their punishment 
in this life. Those who think they 
do are under an awful delusion, and 
many try to think there is no punish- 
ment after death, because they wish 
to be at ease in their sins. 

The Bible tells us of wicked per- 
sons, and some who are horribly wick- 
ed, who are so far from receiving 
their punishment in this w r orld, that 
this life is to them one of high pros- 
perity. Hear God's language on this 
subject : " Behold, these are the un- 
godly that prosper in the world. They 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 83 

are not in trouble as other men, nei- 
ther are they plagued like other men. 
Therefore pride compasseth them as 
a chain, violence covereth them as a 
garment. They are corrupt, and 
speak wickedly concerning oppres- 
sion : they speak loftily. They set 
their mouth against the heavens, 
[they blaspheme God, ridicule reli- 
gion, mock at providence, and laugh 
at future punishment,] and their 
tongue walketh through the earth." 
Yet, " their eyes stand out with fat- 
ness, they have more than heart could 
wish, and there are no bands [or ter- 
rors] in their death." But there is a 
God that judgeth righteously, and if 
they repent not they " shall be turn- 
ed into hell, with all the nations that 
forget God." 

My dear reader, think of these 
things. Though a sinful world may 
throw its allurements around you, 



r>V» 



84 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

though it may promise you much, 
yet beware of its flatteries. A life of 
sin will end in sorrow — sorrow deep, 
fearful, and unending. " Rejoice, O 
young man, in thy youth, and let thy 
heart cheer thee in the days of thy 
youth — but know thou, that for all 
these things God will bring thee into 
judgment." 



CHAPTER X. 






John sends two of his disciples to Jesus — Object 
of their visit — Miracles performed in their presence 
— Christ's opinion of John — His reproof to the 
Pharisees and Sadducees. 

In the last chapter of our history 
we left John in prison. Here he re- 
mained for some time, though we 
know not precisely how long. While 
he continued in confinement some of 
his disciples visited him, and inform- 
ed him of the wonderful works which 
were performed by Jesus. The rising 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 85 

glory of his Lord was doubtless a 
matter of much delight to John. For 
himself, he had no doubts about Jesus 
being the Messiah, even before he 
had begun to work miracles. But 
he rejoiced that such evidences were 
now given as would confirm the faith 
of others. As the Messiah had not 
come in that splendour which many 
expected would attend his appear- 
ance, some even among the honest 
inquirers were perplexed, and hardly 
knew what to believe. This appears 
to have been the case with some of 
John's disciples. To satisfy their 
doubts, and confirm their faith, he 
sent two of them with a message to 
Jesus, telling them to go and say to 
him, " Art thou he that should come, 
or look we for another V 

The messengers having arrived, 
presented their message, to which 
Jesus replied, not at first in words, 



86 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

but by significant action. In the same 
hour he cured many of their infirmi- 
ties and plagues, and evil spirits, and 
unto many that were blind he gave 
sight. He then said to the messen- 
gers, " Go and show John again those 
things which ye do hear and see. The 
blind receive their sight, and the lame 
walk; the lepers are cleansed, and 
the deaf hear ; the dead are raised 
up, and the poor have the gospel 
preached unto them ; and blessed is 
he whosoever shall not be offended 
in me." 

We shall see the beauty and force 
of this answer if we consider two 
passages in the prophecies of Isaiah. 
Speaking of the times, and works of 
the Messiah, he says, " Then shall 
the eyes of the blind be opened, and 
the ears of the deaf shall be unstop- 
ped. Then shall the lame leap as a 
hart, and the tongue of the dumb 






XIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 87 

shall sing." The other passage runs 
thus: the prophet, speaking in the 
person of the Messiah, says, " The 
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 
because the Lord hath anointed me 
to preach good tidings unto the meek ; 
he hath sent me to bind up the bro- 
ken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the 
captives, and the opening of the pri- 
son to them that are bound." ; 

Now John was doubtless well ac- 
quainted with these prophecies, and 
would not fail to point out the force 
of the reply which Jesus had made 
to his disciples. He would tell them 
that the works which they had seen 
Jesus perform — opening the eyes of 
the blind, healing the sick, and preach- 
ing the good tidings of salvation- 
were the very works which Isaiah 
had long ago predicted as the works 
of the Messiah. 

After the messengers of John had 



SB I.IFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

returned, Jesus improved the occasion 
by bearing- honourable testimony to 
his faithful, but now imprisoned he- 
rald. " What," said he, " went je out 
into the wilderness for to see 1 A reed 
shaken with the wind. But what 
went ye out for to see? A man clothed 
in soft raiment Behold, they that 
wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 
But what went ye out for to see? A 
prophet, yea, I say unto you, and more 
than a prophet." 

The meaning of this address may 
be thus expressed: — "Do you recol- 
lect in what multitudes you fioeked 
to the preaching of John ? And what 
kind of a man did you find? One 
wavering in his testimony as the 
reeds on the banks of the Jordan 
where he preached? or rather, did 
you not hear him testify with the 
utmost constancy, that the Messiah 
was at hand ? Did you find him like 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 89 

a fawning courtier, who is ready to 
pay for his elegant dress, and costly 
living, in soft words and lying flat- 
teries, and careful avoidance of what- 
ever might give offence ? Or did you 
not rather find a man of plain fidelity, 
who showed himself above the frown 
or favour of the world ? If this was 
his character, as you well know it 
was, then you went out to hear a 
prophet — one commissioned by God, 
acting under the impulse of inspira- 
tion, and appointed, like the ancient 
prophets, to warn a guilty people, and 
to describe the character and glories 
of the Messiah. In all these respects 
John was truly a prophet, but he was 
more than this. He came as the 
herald of the Messiah, and actually 
introduced him to you, and bade you 
behold the Lamb of God, the divinely 
appointed sacrifice for the sin of the 
world." Jesus then went on to say 



90 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

John was the very prophet spoken 
of by Malachi as the Messiah's fore- 
runner, who, having prepared the 
way, should be immediately followed 
by the Messiah himself. He also 
assured them, that among them that 
had been born, there had not been a 
greater prophet than John. " But," 
said he, " he that is least in the king- 
dom of heaven is greater than he." 

By the " kingdom of heaven" here, 
he meant the heavenly kingdom which 
he had himself come to set up on 
earth. The least prophet or teacher 
who was able to attest the actual 
death, resurrection, and ascension of 
the Messiah, and the gift of his Spirit 
in its miraculous energies, was greater 
in office than John — able to testify 
truths which John saw only at a dis- 
tance. 

Our Lord then went on to observe 
that since the days of John, the king- 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 91 

dom of heaven suffered violence, and 
that the violent were taking it as by- 
force. In spite of the calumnies 
heaped upon the preaching of John, 
and his own, by the Jewish teachers 
and rulers, many were eagerly re- 
ceiving it and pressing into the gos- 
pel kingdom, like a multitude rushing 
to take a city by assault. 

Jesus then went on to address the 
fault-finding, unbelieving scribes and 
Pharisees, and those who had im- 
bibed their spirit. He compared them 
to pettish, ill-humoured children, who, 
gathering in the market places or 
public squares, began their sports by 
imitating the dances at a public feast, 
or the lamentations at a funeral, but 
soon falling out with each other ; the 
one party saying to the other, We 
have piped in cheerful strains, but ye 
have not danced ; we have mourned 
unto you, have played the sorrowful 



92 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 






funeral dirge, but ye have not lament- 
ed, have not joined us in the sad 
strain. " This is an exact picture of 
your conduct. For John came nei- 
ther eating nor drinking, he did not 
live a social life, nor attend any of 
your domestic feasts, and ye say he 
hath a devil, a demon which drives 
him into solitude, and overwhelms 
him with melancholy. The Son of 
man came eating and drinking. He 
lived with men in cities, and when 
invited, attended marriages, and other 
feasts, to sanctify the cheerfulness of 
family meetings, to engage the atten- 
tion of the guests to his heavenly 
doctrine, to overcome their prejudices 
by his mild and condescending man- 
ners, and to make the customs of 
social life the means of conveying 
instruction by founding parables upon 
them. But for all this, he is slander- 
ed as gluttonous, a wine-bibber, and 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 93 

a friend, not of the souls, but of the 
vices of publicans and sinners. With 
such virulence do you treat both the 
master and his servant, and so easy 
is it for your envy and malice to give 
an odious colouring to the most wise 
and holy conduct."* 

CHAPTER XL 

Woman — A contrast — The feast — The dance — 
An infamous proposal — The murder of the prophet. 

" Woman, dear woman ! in whose name 

Wife, sister, mother, meet : 
Thine is the heart by earliest claim, 

And thine its latest beat. 
In thee the angel virtues shine ; 

An angel form to thee is given ; 
Thine be an angel's office then, 

To lead the soul to heaven." 

How beautifully do these lines de- 
scribe the character and office of wo- 
man ! In her we look for whatever 
is fair and lovely. Elegance, modes- 

* See Watson on the place. 



94 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

ty, tenderness, and sympathy are hers. 
We find her a ministering angel in 
the cottage of poverty, and by the 
bed of affliction. If any one has a 
tear of sympathy to shed over our 
sorrows, or a tongue of eloquent ten- 
derness to plead for their alleviation, 
it is woman : 

" Hers is a mild and gentle power 
That prospers in affliction's hour : 

— then woman lends 

Her words of solace, and her smile 
Comes with an influence to bless 
Where all seem'd drear and comfortless, 
And sheds around such holy light 
As makes e'en desolation bright." 

Such is a virtuous woman. But if 
this be the portrait of a woman of 
virtue, how shall we draw that of an 
immodest woman 1 There is no being 
so vile on the face of the earth, and 
none so much to be feared. Her 
wiles are more artful and seductive, 
her heart more treacherous, and her 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 95 

vengeance more dark and deadly, 
than any thing that can be found out 
of the breast of a fiend. Let our 
history illustrate this. 

John had been for many months, 
perhaps about eighteen, immured in 
prison. The anger of Herod had 
somewhat softened down, but the 
dark spirit of feminine vengeance had 
lost none of its deadly rage. The 
shameless and vengeful Herodias 
eagerly thirsted for John's blood. 
Nor was it long before an opportunity 
offered for indulging her hate. 

About this time Herod celebrated 
his birth-day by a splendid feast. 
His nobles and chief officers, upon 
invitation, sat down to the sumptuous 
entertainment. The wine no doubt 
passed freely round, and Herod with 
his guests had become merry. Just 
then a beautiful young damsel glided 
into the festive hall. It was Salome, 



96 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

the daughter of Herodias. She had 
come, doubtless by the direction of 
her infamous mother, to dance before 
the company. Herod, who was pro- 
bably flushed with wine, was highly 
pleased with her elegant movements, 
and expressed unbounded delight. 
Thus he publicly and shamelessly 
gloried in his infamy, this daughter 
of Herodias being the offspring of 
Philip, whom Herodias had deserted, 
and whose child as well as wife had 
been induced, by the wiles of a wicked 
brother, to leave him. 

It was no uncommon thing for the 
kings and nobles of ancient times to 
make rash vows in their revels, and 
to seal them with oaths. Herod on 
the present occasion made one of 
these rash oaths. He promised to 
give the dancer whatever she woulfL 
ask, even if it were half of his kingdom. 

Salome went and informed her 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 97 

mother of the promise, and asked 
what she should choose. And now 
the spirit of the serpent stirred 
in this infamous woman. Her eyes 
sparkled like those of a basilisk* just 
ready to dart upon its prey. She told 
her daughter to go and ask for the 
head of John the Baptist to be brought 
her. And this is a mother giving in- 
structions to her child ! What a fiend 
was such a mother ! and what a pro- 
mising daughter to receive such in- 
structions ! and what a present from a 
young lady was the bloody head of a 
murdered prophet ! Behold the cha- 
racter of a woman who has lost her 
modesty, and given herself up to a 
life of criminal indulgence! Behold 
the effects of being educated by such 
a mother ! Salome goes in before the 
whole company, and says to Herod, 
" I wall that thou give me the head 

* A serpent of rare beauty and as great malignity. 
7 



98 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

of John the Baptist in a charger," (a 
large dish.) 

And what should we expect from 
Herod on the presentation of such a 
request % Is he not shocked, astonish- 
ed, and filled with shame ? Do not 
his nobles start back with abhorrence 
from such a proposal? We should 
suppose Herod would have told her, 
he intended no such thing in his pro- 
mise : that he should never have 
made it, had he supposed her capa- 
ble of making such a request, and 
that he should be a thousand times 
more guilty in keeping his oath than 
in breaking it. 

But nothing of this. There were 
two motives that weighed more with 
him than mercy, justice, or reason. 
He had a blind passion for his bloody 
wife, which made him unwilling to 
displease her in any thing. He was 
surrounded by vile courtiers, who 






LIFE OF JOJHN THE BAPTIST. 99 

most likely hated John. Probably a 
great part of them were infidel Sad- 
ducees, who would be very willing to 
urge the request of Salome by way 
of paying court to Herodias. Had 
they been any thing better, they 
would have interposed in behalf of 
John, and told Herod that no oath 
could bind him to commit murder. 

But again, Herod pretended to be 
a man of conscience. O yes ! a man 
of conscience ! " For his oatbUs sake" 
he would not refuse the request. So 
he determined to murder & holy pro- 
phet for conscience' sake, and sent an 
executioner to bring the head of the 
innocent and iexcellent John ! 

The hour had now come when this 
eminent prophet was to bow his head 
to the stroke of the executioner. 
Though the sacred history does not 
conduct us to the prison to witness the 
closing scene, still we are at no great 



100 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

loss in determining its character. The 
life of this holy man everywhere 
evinced the fearlessness of virtue ; 
and he who has courage enough to 
do his duty, has always courage 
enough to die. Besides, to a soul fully 
prepared for heaven, death has no ter- 
rors. St. Paul calls it a departure. It is 
like leaving a land of exile for home ; 
like a long absent child departing to 
return to his parents' arms. Doubt- 
less John could say as St. Paul after- 
ward said, " I am now ready to be 
offered, and the time of my departure 
is at hand. I have fought a good 
fight ; I have finished my course ; I 
have kept the faith : henceforth there 
is laid up for me a crown of right- 
eousness which the Lord, the right- 
eous Judge, will give me at that day, 
and not to me only, but to all them 
that love his appearing." "I have 
therefore a desire to depart and be 



LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 101 

with Christ, which is far better ; for 
to die is gain. O death, where is thy 
sting ? O grave, where is thy victory?" 

The executioner came, and having 
accomplished his bloody work, he 
carried the head of the murdered pro- 
phet to Salome, who presented it to 
her mother. St. Jerome, an early 
Christian writer, tells us, that when 
Herodias received it she exultingly 
drew out the tongue, which by its re- 
proofs had planted thorns in her cri- 
minal pillow, and pierced it with a 
bodkin. 

The body, which had probably been 
thrown over the wall as unworthy of 
burial, was taken up by John's disci- 
ples, and decently laid in the tomb. 
With what mournful feelings did these 
bereaved friends follow it to the grave ! 
"What mingled emotions did they feel 
as they raised their thoughts to hea- 
ven, to which the spirit had winged 



102 LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

its way, and then turned them back on 
the scenes of his former ministry ! 

When they had performed the last 
sad rites, they went and told Jesus. 

Thus died, in the morn of his prime, 
one of the greatest of prophets, the 
most holy of saints, and eloquent of 
ministers. Our Saviour pronounces 
one of the finest eulogies upon him 
in a single sentence: "He was a 

BURNING AND A SHINING LIGHT." 

" O ! there was one — on earth a while 
He dwelt ; — but transient as a smile 

That turns into a tear, 
His beauteous image pass'd us by. 
He came like lightning from the skjr; 
He seem'd as dazzling to the eye 

As prompt to disappear. 

The loveliest star of evening's train 
Sets early in the western main, 

And leaves the world in night. 
The brightest star of morning's host, 
Scarce risen, in brighter beams is lost. 
Thus sank his form on ocean's coast, 

Thus sprang his soul to light. 






LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 103 

Revolving his mysterious lot 

We mourn him, but we praise him not : 

Glory to God be given, 
Who sent him, like the radiant bow, 
His covenant of peace to show 
Athwart the breaking storm to glow, 

Then vanish into heaven, 

O, church ! to whom his name is dear, 
The angel of thy mercies here, 

Behold the path he trod— 
6 A milky way' through midnight skies, 
Behold the grave in which he lies : 
E'en from his dust thy prophet cries, 
* Prepare to meet thy God.' " 



THE END. 



